Senior Finance Business Partner

Senior Finance Business Partner

**Location**:
Glasgow, GB

**Department Name**:
Financial Controller

**About Network Rail**:
At Network Rail, our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We’re an organisation where people matter. Watch our video to find out more

Scotland's Railway is part of this large family and it covers a large geographical area from the Borders to Thurso at the far tip of the North East of Scotland, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the UK rail network. We provide rapid access along busy commuter routes to our eight cities, servicing the varied needs of our business and leisure commuter services, including cross border services and rural services. We have up to 50 freight services operating every day and we are steadily building capacity for this to grow. Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users, drives us every day and we're empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues and protecting safety and wellbeing.

Our colleagues are encouraged to work flexibly as we know that busy lives don’t always fit around a traditional working pattern, if you need flexibility to complete your role just let us know and we will do our upmost to help you to invest in your career with us while balancing other aspects of your life.

**Brief Description**:
This is an exciting opportunity to join a Team and drive change and improvement across our business areas, assisting in delivering the key objectives for today’s Network Rail.

As the Senior Finance Business Partner you will work as an integral member of supported business senior leadership team, to proactively identify, plan and meet the finance needs of the business in order to improve business performance, in coordination with other members of the wider finance team as required. You will positively challenge Senior Leaders, budgets and business activities to enable the best business outcomes are delivered.

**About the role (External)**:
**Here are some of the duties your role will include: -**
- Consolidate, critically review and provide technical advice and guidance on periodic financial results and forecasts to Identify and monitor risks, opportunities and efficiencies to minimise the financial and legal impact on the business area.
- Provide robust professional recommendations and financial guidance on accounting guidelines and standards to enable the business to be financially and legally compliant.
- Provide technical and professional oversight of the periodic accounts, relevant analysis and preparation of business plans and budgets to enable the business to make effective decisions.
- Develop, understand and influence the cost and income drivers relevant to the business area to deliver the yearly business plan and manage to the overall settlement by effective decision making.
- Influence, coach and challenge senior budget holders in understanding the impact of their period results and forecasts against budgets in order to manage their business more effectively and manage within budgeting limits.
- Proactively challenge budget holders plans and budget submissions to understand the overall plan, providing advice and new initiatives to save costs and be more efficient as an organisation.
- Drive, adapt and deliver key KPI’S and deliverables for the function, highlighting any significant issues and trends with financial and other business results to aid decision makers to make efficiencies.
- Lead in budget holder key meetings on financial performance to provide professional financial advice and guidance to drive business decisions, minimise risk and deliver good corporate governance.
- Develop, drive and implement investment decisions and new business activities, working collaboratively with senior leaders to explore new opportunities and drive business performance.

**What you will bring to the role: -**
- Membership (or working towards membership) of a relevant accounting body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW) or equivalent experience
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills all levels. This should include Customers; 3rd party representatives, other business & functional leaders and key support personnel.
- Successful relevant experience working in a complex financial environment including demonstrable experience in managing business risks, professional financial control and forward planning.
- Demonstrable record of budget management, governance and ability to understand and interpret commercial and financial landscapes (budgets, forecasts, actual status).
- Significant experience in managing ambiguity in a financial environment with strong evaluation and decision-making skills.
- Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, for example accounting